The present invention relates generally to hoisting systems and, more particularly, to a portable folding platform apparatus which may be used in conjunction with a ladder to elevate materials from the ground to the eave of a roof and/or raise materials from the eave of a roof to the peak of a roof.
Extreme difficulty is often encountered in lifting heavy objects to the top of a house, onto a roof, or from the eave of a roof to the roof peak. This can be accomplished with a crane, but the expense of using a crane is often prohibitive. For example, it would be too expensive to rent a crane to transport roofing materials from the ground to the roof or from the eave of a roof to the roof peak. In addition, it would be difficult and expensive to transport a large piece of equipment such as a crane to a job site. If obstacles do not permit a lifting machine to be used to lift materials from the ground to the roof eave, this form of equipment can be used for that purpose.
There is a need for an apparatus that can be easily attached to a single section ladder or an extension ladder and used to lift loads to the eave of a roof of a building. The portability of such an apparatus is important so that it can be transported by one person to and from a jobsite easily and can be affixed to and removed from a ladder by a worker with a minimum of effort. The apparatus should be capable of functioning on a single section ladder or an extension ladder which includes at least two sections of ladder with different widths.
Accordingly, there is a need for a portable folding apparatus that may be used in conjunction with a ladder to lift loads to the eave or peak of a roof of a building. There is a further need for an apparatus that may be easily adjusted to fit the width of a particular ladder. The apparatus should be capable of being folded into a compact form so that it may be easily transported to a job site. Moreover, the apparatus should also be capable of being used with a winch so that heavy loads may be lifted to the top of the ladder. And finally, the apparatus should be capable of being utilized with a single section ladder or an extension ladder with more than one ladder section.